November 24, 2024

Baked Salmon with Pesto Sauce

September 4, 2015 by

 

Baked Salmon with Pesto Sauce

Salmon is my favorite fish to make at  home.  It seems more substantial than fish like sole or trout, and its strong, meaty texture and flavor give it a lot of flexibility.  Make this Baked Salmon with Pesto Sauce and find out for yourself!

You can of course use store-bought pesto, but if you have basil growing in your garden, the rest is easy to rustle up at home.  This is how I like pesto – you can alter this to suit your tastes.  If you have any leftover pesto, try it on scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, chicken, and of course over pasta!  (Or, want a different spin on pesto?  Try Coleen’s version!)

Baked Salmon with Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 large salmon filet, about 1/2 pound or more
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 3 tablespoons – 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375*F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Place the salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet, and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper.  Bake for 10 minutes, or until firm in the thickest part of the filet.
  3. While the salmon is in the oven, put the basil and garlic cloves in the bowl of a small food processor.  Pulse to combine.
  4. Add the lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts, and blend again.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and blend.  Taste for seasoning – more lemon?  More Parmesan?  More garlic?  You can add more olive oil for a thinner texture – as much as half a cup if you like your pesto really thin.
  5. Serve the salmon hot from the oven with a healthy pour of pesto over the top.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet

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At Home with GCH: Soba Noodles with Salmon and Miso

March 29, 2013 by

Soba Noodles with Salmon and Miso

 

I know some people give up meat on Fridays, especially during Lent, so to celebrate the end of Lent, the coming of Easter, and the arrival of Spring, I have a fresh and tasty fish recipe for you!

The two “ethnic” ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are both Japanese.  Soba noodles are thick, chewy buckwheat noodles, with a wonderful nutty taste.  They come dried and are widely available, so if your grocery store has an Asian section, there’s a good chance they’ll be there.  (You could substitute whole wheat spaghetti if you really can’t find the soba noodles.)  The other ingredient is miso paste.  It’s made of fermented soy beans and adds a mild soy sauce-like flavor.  Check the refrigerated section of the store, maybe by the tofu.  (If you can’t find it, use soy sauce instead, but the flavor will be more pronounced.)  As for the vegetables, I like baby Bok Choi, but if you can’t find that, you could use 5 ounces of spinach instead, or Napa cabbage, or even bean sprouts and strips of bell pepper.  Be creative!  This recipe serves two, but you can easily double it if you like.

Soba Noodles with Salmon and Miso

(Adapted from a recipe in the book Homestyle Asian)

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces dried soba noodles
  • 1 heaping teaspoon miso paste (or one teaspoon soy sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 4 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
  • 1 pound salmon filets
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic (use 2 cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 heads of baby bok choi, separated into individual leaves (or use one 5 ounce bag baby spinach)
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Salmon Grill Pan

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions.  Drain, add back to the pot you cooked them in, and toss with a teaspoon of the sesame oil, so the noodles won’t stick together.  Set aside.
  2. Whisk together the miso, honey, one teaspoon sesame oil, and one teaspoon water to form a paste.  Brush over the salmon.  Sear on a hot grill pan or frying pan for 30 seconds.  Brush salmon with any remaining glaze and place on a foil-lined baking tray.  Bake for 6 minutes, then cover and leave to rest in a warm place.
  3. Heat one teaspoon of sesame oil in a frying pan.  Add the garlic, ginger, carrot, green onion, and bok choi and sauté for one minute.  The vegetables should not brown, but remain bright and crisp.  Add the noodles, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and last teaspoon of sesame oil, and stir to combine for another 30 seconds.
  4. To serve, place the noodles and vegetables on the plate.  Top with salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

*****

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipes, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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GCH: What’s on Your Plate? Fish Tacos

January 9, 2013 by

 Fish Tacos

Ah, the humble fish stick.  When I was a kid, my favorite meal was fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, and whatever green vegetable was riding shotgun.  I still love fish sticks, and so do my kids.  And while they’re terrific with tartar sauce, sometimes it’s fun to take the familiar and shake it up.  And that leads us to – Baja-style Fish Tacos!

These tasty treats may be unfamiliar to you if you’ve never visited Southern California or farther down south, into the Pacific Coast of Mexico.  Fish tacos in Southern California are part of surf culture, the favorite food of stereotypically blonde, tan dudes with surfboards who say “gnarly” and wear shorts year round.  And while they’re pretty easy to find in my neighborhood, they probably aren’t in yours.  So make ’em yourself!

There are a few basic, mandatory components to the fish taco.  First is corn tortillas – save the flour tortillas for burrito night.  Next is the fish: regular fish sticks will work, as will the larger fillet-style pieces, but you definitely want the crunchy breading.  Also important are the cabbage and cilantro – regular old green cabbage, sliced as thinly as possible (but not shredded like in coleslaw), and plenty of leafy cilantro.  Last comes a big squeeze of lemon or lime.  I like the “crema” listed in this recipe, but you can also use regular tomato salsa too.  After these ingredients, you can add more to suit your taste – diced onion, avocado, even shredded cheese.

Are you ready to do this?  Cowabunga!

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

  • 1 package fish sticks
  • 1 package small yellow or white corn tortillas
  • 1 small head cabbage
  • 1 bunch cilantro (use the rest to make the Fajitas Salad!)
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 1 large lemon or lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • salsa, avocado, cheese, green or red onion, or whatever else you like on your tacos

Directions:

  1. Bake the fish sticks according to the package directions.  While they are cooking, slice the cabbage as thin as possible.  If you have a food processor, you may want to try that.  Wash the cilantro and remove the tough stems.
  2. Prepare the crema:  Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, and the juice of half the lemon.  Stir in the cumin and refrigerate until ready to use.  If it’s too sour for you, add a dash of sugar.  You can also add tabasco or a little chipotle right to the crema.  Or, my favorite, if you have any leftover dressing from making the Fajitas Salad, use this in place of the crema!
  3. Wrap as many tortillas as you need in a damp dishtowel.  Place the dishtowel between two plates to seal it up, and microwave for 30 seconds.  This gets them hot, flexible and delicious!
  4. To assemble:  Lay out your tortilla (some people use two at a time, which keeps it from ripping or falling apart) and spoon a little crema on the bottom.  Top with fish sticks, sliced cabbage and plenty of cilantro.  Squeeze a little lemon on top, and add any other optional ingredients you like.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

Please visit me at Frugal Girlmet for more unique recipes!

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